Like most Americans, I was shocked and disappointed by Donald Trump’s recent tweet regarding the new legislators, “the Squad,” in which he suggested they return to their countries of origin to improve living conditions there (“Israel Issue Takes On Divisive New Tone,” July 19).
It was simply un-American. And even more disturbing were his invocations of anti-Semitism and antipathy toward Israel, as people attending his rally in North Carolina chanted, “Send them back!” However, I would like to call to your attention a resolution that was put forward in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, July 16, by Reps. Ilhan Omar and John Lewis that seeks to counteract legislation that denies funding to jurisdictions where BDS sanctions are in practice.
In H.R. 496, the representatives assert that boycotts are expressions of free speech, and to back up their claim, they cite past economic boycotts of Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany. What they neglect to consider is that Israel is a close ally of the United States, while Japan and Germany, in the years leading up to World War II, were at war with our allies and were known for their brutal, vicious treatment of civilian populations.
While it is easy for Reps.Ilhan Omar and. Rashida Tlaib to garner sympathy after President Trump’s insensitive tweet, we must not lose sight of the fact that these two representatives have not rested at all in their battle to delegitimize the State of Israel. I hope this is something you will bring to light in upcoming issues of The Jewish Week.
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